Catchment Management Plan - Hunter Water

3.7 Element 7: EngagE thecommunityObjectiveTo inform, connect with andempower the community tomake a positive change in catchments.PrécisSupportive and constructive behavioursby land and water users withincatchments are crucial to the successfor catchment management. As weachieve success through catchmentmanagement initiatives, we willbetter communicate and engage thecommunity to build upon success.3.7.1 Why communicate aboutdrinking water catchmentsCommunity involvement andawareness are foundation conceptsin the Framework for Managementof Drinking Water Quality in theGuidelines. This is because catchmentland users and customers havearguably the greatest influence ondrinking water quality in these areas.Approximately 65% of Hunter Water’scatchments are in private ownership.Through education and empowerment,positive changes in routines andactions of private landholders canhave a large effect on the runoff fromtheir properties. It follows that effectivecommunication is one of the mostimportant mechanisms for bettercatchment management.3.7.2 Current level ofcommunity engagementwith catchmentsHunter Water currently employs someeffective mechanisms to communicatecatchment information:• Signage: There is currentlysome effective signage in thecatchments. Examples of theseare along the Pacific Highwayin the Grahamstown Catchmentinforming motorists that they arein a drinking water catchmentand to report chemical spills.Signage such as this does morethan mitigate the risk of chemicalspill; it also draws awarenessof the catchment boundaryand reinforces the notion thatHunter Water is an effectiveenvironmental steward. HunterWater is at present identifyingand cataloguing all signage incatchments. Catchment signageplacement and condition will benoted so that we can maximise theimpact of this medium.• Website: The website currentlyhas detailed information on thedrinking water catchments. Thisis presented in an accessible andeasily interpreted way so thatpeople seeking information aboutcatchments can find it. As therehave been some changes to ourcatchments, the website needsupdating in this respect.• Supporting the HouseholdChemical Cleanout scheme inDungog (Appendix D): Dumpingof large volumes of chemicalscould cause a serious problemin catchments. Hunter Waterdemonstrates good environmentalstewardship and reduces the riskof chemicals entering the drinkingwater supply by supporting thisscheme in catchments.• 3.7.3 Recent examplesof communicationabout catchmentsIn the last year, Hunter Water hasincreased communication regarding theHunter’s drinking water catchments. Theprojects implemented included:• A newspaper advertisement inThe Land with free DVD offer(Appendix E)•• Posters of catchments weredeveloped to use at public events(Appendix F)• A poster illustrating drinking watercatchment locations was developedto be used at Tocal (Appendix G)• A series of articles in the customernewsletter (‘THINK about yourDRINK) discussing catchmentsand how to keep them clean wasinitiated. (Appendix H)It is important to build upon thesuccess of these projects bydeveloping a strategic plan forcommunication in catchments. Thisplan will ideally use survey techniquesto identify the most effective methodsof communication to land users andcustomers.3.7.4 Hunter Water’s visionto engage thecommunityCatchment signage and effective mediaopportunities are identified; opportunitiesto promote catchment managementinformation are supported.Catchment signage and effective mediaopportunities are resourced; communitybecomes more connected with drinkingwater catchments.The community is empowered to makepositive change to their activities incatchments and is supportive of HunterWater’s catchment initiatives.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201039